Virat Kohli should step down from all format captaincy, to achieve greater heights in batting: Shahid Afridi

Virat Kohli should step down from all format captaincy, to achieve greater heights in batting: Shahid Afridi.

Former Pakistani all-rounder Shahid Afridi, on Saturday, expressed his views on Virat Kohli and his captaincy duties with team India. Afridi suggests Kohli to retire from all format captaincy and play as a proper batsman.

Afridi?s statement on the Indian premier batsman came after the BCCI appointed Rohit Sharma as the leader of the shortest format. 

"I think he has been a wonderful force for Indian cricket but I think it would be best if he decided to retire as captain in all formats now," Afridi said on Pakistan TV channel Samaa.

The former Pakistan skipper further said that Rohit Sharma, the new Indian T20I skipper, has got a great head on his shoulders and exactly knows how to react in different situations.

"I have played with Rohit for a year (in Deccan Chargers) and he is an outstanding player with a top mentality. His biggest asset is he can stay relaxed where required and show aggression when it is needed the most," he added.

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Afridi shared a common dressing room with Rohit Sharma back in the inaugural season of the IPL for Deccan Chargers (now defunct).

Further, the Pakistani all-rounder believed that for Virat Kohli to thrive as a batsman, he should give up on all format captaincy and focus solely on his batting abilities.

"...I think Virat should step down as captain and just enjoy his remaining cricket which I think aplenty. He is a top batsman and he can play freely without any other pressures on his mind. He will enjoy his cricket," Afridi said.

After India?s consecutive failure in the ICC tournaments, Virat Kohli entered public scrutiny. Many asked Virat to relinquish his ODI captaincy as well, soon after he announced his decision to step down from the T20I captaincy following the completion of the ICC T20 World Cup 2021.

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